New Hampshire

Judge presses Trump administration to define DEI programs it seeks to ban

Published

11 months ago

April 17, 2025

Judge presses Trump administration to define DEI programs it seeks to ban

A federal judge in Concord pressed the Trump administration Thursday for more details about its ban on diversity, equity and inclusion in schools, including what would be prohibited. The federal government’s answers offered little clarity for educators wondering what they can — and can’t — do.

Presiding over a lawsuit challenging the new restrictions, Judge Landya McCafferty noted the federal government has given schools conflicting guidance on what the ban would cover. When she asked for specific examples of what kind of activities could run afoul of the prohibitions, U.S. Department of Justice attorney Abhishek Kambli said it would be “impossible” to identify all the scenarios.

“It’s how (schools) treat students, not what they teach,” Kambli said during Thursday’s hearing. “What they teach does not have any bearing.”

The coalition challenging the DEI ban includes the ACLU and the National Education Association on behalf of educators, including three in New Hampshire. They’ve asked the court to prevent the Trump administration from enforcing its ban, which, if violated, could costs schools millions in federal funding.

They have asked McCafferty to rule by April 24, the federal deadline for schools to confirm they do not have DEI programs that violate anti-discrimination laws.

New Hampshire schools, however, were required to have their compliance forms to the state Department of Education by Thursday. As of late Thursday, about 165 of the state’s 218 school districts had submitted compliance forms, according to the state’s tracker.

Four of those districts have refused and instead asked to join the lawsuit: Dover, Oyster River, Somersworth, and Hanover. School officials in Norwich, Vermont also signed on. Portsmouth, which last week said it was joining the case, is no longer participating, according to attorneys involved.

A spokesperson for the New Hampshire Education Department said they are required to tell their federal counterparts by April 24 which schools fail to submit forms.

In court, ACLU attorney Sarah Hinger told McCafferty the federal ban on DEI programs is too vague to follow and violates teachers’ and educators’ free speech rights. She and McCafferty noted the federal government has given schools conflicting guidance on what the ban would cover.

The written guidance schools received in February included programming and training, Hinger said. That goes beyond the narrow definition that the federal government’s attorney offered Thursday, she said.

“What the government has said in court and in its legal filings really differs,” she said. “And I think the court picked up on this.”

This is not the only ban on DEI New Hampshire schools may be facing.

House Republicans have proposed legislation that would withhold state funding from New Hampshire schools with DEI programs. The bill goes beyond targeting programs that classify people by race, gender, and ethnicity to include “other group characteristics for the purpose of achieving demographic outcomes.”

And teachers unions and the ACLU New Hampshire continue to challenge a 2021 state law that would limit lessons on racism, sexism, and gender discrimination. A New Hampshire federal district court judge struck down the law in 2024, saying it was too vague to follow.

The state is appealing.

The five New Hampshire school districts that are challenging the Trump Administration’s most recent DEI order, told the court they know they risk losing millions if they don’t comply. But they have no idea what counts as banned practices.

Somersworth Superintendent John Shea if that included free and reduced-price lunch, special education services, and support for immigrant families.

“The District has many goals for its schools and students—one of which is to increase equitable opportunities and to ensure that a student’s demographic characteristics do not limit a student’s success in school and life,” wrote in a court filing.

Dover’s assistant superintendent, Christine Boston, said her district remains committed to its equity plan, which calls for making the school culture inclusive, safe, and welcoming for all students and hiring a diverse staff that reflects the diversity of the student body.

“The (Trump administration’s order,) though its vaguely worded prohibitions, threatens the essence of what keeps our learning environment a place where all staff and stunned are welcomed and succeed,” Boston wrote in a court filing.

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New Hampshire

Democrats gain ground in NH, new St. Anselm poll shows

Published

6 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Democrats gain ground in NH, new St. Anselm poll shows

The poll, released March 23, found that Democrats lead the generic ballot 49% to 41%, up four points from November.
Pappas leads both Republican challengers, former New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu and former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, in hypothetical matchups for Senate.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte still has a slight positive approval rating and beats her potential opponents in hypothetical head-to-head matchups.

Democrats are gaining ground ahead of the 2026 midterms, a new poll from Saint Anselm College Survey Center revealed.

The poll, released March 23, found Democrats lead the generic ballot 49% to 41%, up four points from November. That increase is likely due to concerns over the economy and foreign policy: 59% of voters surveyed oppose the recent military action in Iran, and a slight plurality now trust Democrats over Republicans on economic and affordability issues.

“War and economic uncertainty are creating headwinds for Republicans in New Hampshire, putting Congressman Chris Pappas in a stronger position than in our previous survey,” said Neil Levesque, the executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, in a statement.

The poll found Pappas leads both of his potential Republican challengers, former New Hampshire Sen. John Sununu and former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, in hypothetical matchups for Senate. Rep. Maggie Goodlander, D-NH, also “restored her lead” against 2024 Republican nominee Lily Tang Williams.

Democrats also have more enthusiasm: 96% are “extremely likely” to vote in the midterm elections, compared to 88% of Republicans.

Despite the rise in support for Democrats, Gov. Kelly Ayotte still has a slight positive approval rating and beats her potential opponents in hypothetical head-to-head matchups. And President Donald Trump’s approval rating has remained largely unchanged.

The poll surveyed 1,491 New Hampshire registered voters online from March 16 to 18. The margin of error is +/-2.5%.

What is Kelly Ayotte’s approval rating?

The poll found Ayotte’s approval rating was 49%, with 47% disapproval. Her net approval is slightly down from November, when she was at 49% to 43%.

However, she still polls ahead of her two Democratic challengers for governor. Ayotte leads former executive councilor Cinde Warmington 46% to 39% and former Newmarket restaurant owner Jon Kiper 45% to 31%.

In the Democratic primary, Warmington leads Kiper 40% to 13%.

What is Donald Trump’s approval rating?

Forty-two percent of New Hampshire voters approve of Trump’s performance, the poll found, while 58% disapprove.

The same split is found on his favorability: 42% find Trump favorable, while 58% find him unfavorable.

This is largely unchanged from November, when he was at 57% disapproval and 57% unfavorable.

Buttigieg overtakes Newsom, Rubio gains support in 2028 primary polls

As presidential hopefuls continue to visit the early primary state, the Saint Anselm poll found some shakeups in an early look at the 2028 presidential primaries.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigeig, who finished second in the state in 2020, is an early favorite with 29% support from Democratic voters. At 15%, California Gov. Gavin Newsom has fallen back, the poll says, and he is followed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (10%) and former Vice President Kamala Harris (6%).

While Vice President J.D. Vance remains the top choice on the Republican side with 46%, his support has fallen from 57% in November while Secretary of State Marco Rubio has risen in the ranks.

“Rubio has tripled his support from 9% to 27%, and must now be considered a significant potential challenger to Vance,” the poll says.

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New Hampshire

Republicans losing ground in N.H. amid unpopular Iran war, survey says – The Boston Globe

Published

18 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Republicans losing ground in N.H. amid unpopular Iran war, survey says – The Boston Globe

A lack of public support for the US bombing campaign in Iran appears to be adding to the political headwinds facing Republicans in New Hampshire ahead of the midterm elections, according to data released Monday by the Saint Anselm College Survey Center.

An outright majority of registered voters in the state (59 percent) oppose the war — including 95 percent of Democrats, 63 percent of undeclared voters, and 20 percent of Republicans — according to a survey of 1,491 people conducted last week.

Those numbers, combined with domestic economic concerns, help to explain why Democrats appear to be gaining ground in New Hampshire, according to Neil Levesque, executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College.

“War and economic uncertainty tend to hurt the incumbent party,” he said.

The survey found a notable shift in how voters responded when asked generally which party’s candidate would get their vote if the congressional elections were held now. Democrats outperformed Republicans by 8 percentage points (49 percent to 41 percent) on this “generic ballot” question in March, doubling the 4-point lead (46 percent to 42 percent) they had in November, when this survey was last conducted.

These numbers come as Democrats hope to hang onto all four seats in New Hampshire’s congressional delegation, despite Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s impending retirement triggering wide open contests for two of those seats.

Representative Chris Pappas, who represents the 1st Congressional District, has a commanding lead in the Democratic primary for Shaheen’s seat in the Senate. Meanwhile, former US senators John E. Sununu and Scott Brown are competing for the Republican nomination.

Sununu, who secured President Trump’s endorsement in early February, leads Brown by 21 percentage points (49 percent to 28 percent), according to the Saint Anselm survey. (A poll conducted in January by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center found Sununu with a similar lead in the GOP race.)

Hypothetical matchups in the Saint Anselm survey data suggest Pappas may be on track to beat either Sununu or Brown in the general election, though his current lead over Sununu (46 percent to 43 percent) is barely larger than the margin of sampling error (2.5 percentage points).

Although voter sentiment appears to be shifting to favor Democrats in federal races, first-term Republican Governor Kelly Ayotte still appears to have an early advantage in her 2026 bid for reelection.

In hypothetical matchups with the Democratic candidates, Ayotte is leading Cinde Warmington by 7 percentage points (46 percent to 39 percent), and she’s leading Jonathan Kiper by 14 points (45 percent to 31 percent), according to the Saint Anselm survey.

Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.

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New Hampshire

NH Lottery Begins Selling $30 Scratch Ticket With Record $3 Million Jackpot

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

NH Lottery Begins Selling Scratch Ticket With Record Million Jackpot

MANCHESTER, NH — The New Hampshire Lottery began distributing a new $30 scratch ticket to retailers statewide on Monday, introducing what it says is the largest scratch ticket jackpot in its history.

The game, called $30 $3,000,000 Cash Spectacular, offers three top prizes of $3 million and is the Granite State’s first $30 ticket in more than a decade.

To mark the launch, the lottery unveiled a 70-foot-tall banner of the new ticket on the side of the GYK building, the former R.G. Sullivan Cigar Factory Building, at 175 Canal St. in Manchester. The ticket has a limited run, according to the New Hampshire Lottery.

“We are always looking for new and exciting ways to connect with our players while delivering opportunities to win big,” Charlie McIntyre, the executive director of the New Hampshire Lottery, said. “Seeing this new $30 scratch ticket brought to life on such a large scale in downtown Manchester is a powerful reminder of the fun and anticipation our games create. We’re thrilled to offer our players the chance to win $3 million — the largest scratch ticket jackpot prize we have ever offered — and we look forward to the excitement this new ticket will bring.”

The game uses a standard match-and-win format. According to the lottery, players win the prize shown if any of their numbers match any winning numbers. Players who reveal a 2X, 5X, 10X, 20X or 50X symbol win 2, 5, 10, 20 or 50 times the prize shown for that symbol.

The lottery said players who reveal “WINALL” win all 35 prizes. If a player reveals a roll of cash symbol, they automatically win the prize shown. The bonus portion of the ticket is played separately, according to the lottery.

Tickets may be purchased by anyone 18 or older at New Hampshire Lottery retailers across the state. The lottery said players can use its website to find the retailer nearest to them.

The rollout adds a new high-priced scratch option for New Hampshire players and gives retailers a new game to offer customers. The new ticket went into distribution Monday and is now available statewide, according to the New Hampshire Lottery.

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